Children to join peanut allergy trial

The 1m British study follows earlier research indicating that peanut allergy can be overcome – with peanuts.

Gradually building up tolerance with small amounts of peanut protein appears to dampen down the potentially dangerous allergic reaction.

Now the idea is to be tested for the first time on a large scale with 104 British children aged seven to 17 who suffer from peanut allergy.

Their “medicine” will be increasing doses of peanut flour added to yoghurt.

Tiny quantities of peanut, starting at about one milligram, will be built up slowly until the children are eating the equivalent of five nuts a day.

Some of the children are severely allergic and would normally be at risk of life-threatening symptoms from such exposure.

Dr Andrew Clark, from Cambridge University, who is leading the study, said: “This is going to be the largest trial of its kind in the world and it should give us a definitive idea of whether the approach works and whether it’s safe.

“It’s based on our successful pilot study where we showed 21 out of 23 kids were effectively desensitised to peanuts.”

Allergy to foods such as peanuts can induce a potentially fatal inflammatory reaction called anaphylaxis.

Nut allergy is the commonest cause of anaphylaxis among younger age groups, placing around one in 50 children at risk.

The number of children vulnerable to the reaction has increased dramatically in the developed world over the last 10 years. In the US, food allergy prevalence among children soared by almost 20 per cent during the decade.

A pilot trial recruited 23 children shown to suffer an allergic reaction to the equivalent of less than one peanut.

The new trial will run for three years. If the study is successful, consideration will be given to making the treatment widely available, said Dr Clark.